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This is Love | Sunday Respite | 40 Gifts of Lent 2014

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This is Love Sunday Respite

This is Love| Sunday Respite | 40 Gifts of Lent 

In humility, we rejoice that His lovingkindness never fails – while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

“…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

This is Love

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SUNDAY STILLNESS

About 40 Gifts of Lent

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent 

#LentChallenge

Surprised to Be Loved |Sunday Respite | 40 Gifts of Lent 2014

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From the Sky to the Sea

Surprised to Be Loved | Sunday Respite | 40 Gifts of Lent 

But me he caught—reached all the way
from sky to sea; he pulled me out
Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
the void in which I was drowning.
They hit me when I was down,
but God stuck by me.
He stood me up on a wide-open field;
I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!
Psalm 18:16 – 19 (The Message)

Sunday Respite 3

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SUNDAY STILLNESS

Scripture and Snapshot

About 40 Gifts of Lent

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent 

#LentChallenge

Receive This Peace |Sunday Respite | 40 Gifts of Lent 2014

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Receive This Peace

Receive This Peace | Sunday Respite | 40 Gifts of Lent 

I leave my peace with you.

I give my peace to you.

I do not give it to you as the world does.

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

And do not be afraid.

John 14:27 (NIrV)

Through Christ, we have peace. Through Christ we can be deeply joyful. Through Christ we can have unshakable faith. I want the kind of peace that He gives, not the kind the world gives. I want the kind of joy that he gives, not the world’s joy. I want the kind of faith that can only he can give.

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SUNDAY STILLNESS

Scripture and Snapshot

About 40 Gifts of Lent

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent 

#LentChallenge

She Collided Into More Grace

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I want to see

 She Collided Into More Grace

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 15

Reflections on John 6 – 9

“…One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”  John 9:25

About four years ago, she was spiraling into a black hole of depression, doubting God’s love for her, questioning her purpose in life. Her faith was becoming shattered and trust was replaced with doubt. Her mind, will, and emotions were exhausted, fragile, drying up and withering away. Nothing made sense anymore. Prayers were lifeless and she felt that God was not listening. Was God there in this mess she was going through?

She ventured further on a path of addiction and hopelessness…careening further from truth, driving blindly through a storm towards a train wreck.

The flashing red lights warning of an approaching train was suddenly noticed, the crossing gate did not come down…she was immediately on the track. She looked to the right through the window…the sound of the train’s whistle pierced the silence, along with her terrifying scream as the enormous bright light of the oncoming train swallowed the darkness where she sat behind the wheel of her car.

The only explanation she has for what happened next is a miracle of God’s immense love and mercy for her.

Within seconds…in a flash she looked at her rear-view mirror to see the train speed by with the sounds of the screaming whistle and screeching wheels pulsing in her chest…and she wept and wept and wept.

If you happen to ask her about all of that, she will tell you that she heard God call her name immediately after she crossed those tracks. And she will tell you that simultaneously, her eyes were opened to believing God was in the mess with her. He was in control of her life. And the mess she was living was his perfect plan and his perfect storm to reveal his glory to her.

She knows he pursued her when she was blind and desperate. She collided into more grace. She has never been the same.

 

Collided into GraceThe tracks where she collided into grace

 

About 40 Gifts of Lent

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. I want to focus on the freedom I have in Christ to overcome strongholds, yet also to gain strength, hope, and peace as I lean into the trials…To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent

#LentChallenge

Completely Known and Still Loved

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To Never Thirst Again

Completely Known

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 14

Reflections on John 1 – 5

“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” John 4:29

She goes to the well in search of water and has a collision with the transforming power of the gospel of grace. Her soul is thirsty to be satisfied with something more…but she has looked for it in all the wrong places. She is broken, lonely, and in need of real love and acceptance.

She doesn’t know what she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know that she needs Jesus.

And there you are, Jesus, understanding who she is. You know everything about her, everything she has done and every place she has been. Yet, because you are a wonderful, merciful savior you are not condemning but accepting, not shaming but cherishing, not ridiculing but redeeming her forever.

There is nothing I have ever done or ever will do that will prevent you from pursuing me. You know me completely. You go to the dark places where I live to shine your light of grace and mercy.

I need to collide into grace everyday…moment by moment. It is a gift to be pursued by you…to be completely known and still loved.  You are the Messiah.

To Never Thirst Again

 

About 40 Gifts of Lent 

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. I want to focus on the freedom I have in Christ to overcome strongholds, yet also to gain strength, hope, and peace as I lean into the trials…To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent

#LentChallenge

On The Road to Emmaus Meet the Hero of the Story

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Emmaus 1

On The Road to Emmaus, Meet the Hero of the Story

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 13

Reflections on Luke 20 – end

Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. Luke 24:17 (NASB)

We often read the Bible as if it were fundamentally about us: our improvement, our life, our triumph, our victory, our faith, our holiness, our godliness. We treat it like a book of timeless principles that will give us our best life now if we simply apply those principles. We treat it, in other words, like it’s a heaven-sent self-help manual. But by looking at the Bible as if it were fundamentally about us, we totally miss the Point…like the two on the road to Emmaus.

As Luke 24 shows, it’s possible to read the Bible, while missing the whole point of the Bible. It’s entirely possible to read the stories and miss the real Story.

Contrary to popular assumptions, the Bible is not a record of the blessed good, but rather the blessed bad. The Bible is not a witness to the best people making it up to God; it’s a witness to God making it down to the worst people. The OT predicts God’s rescuer; the NT presents God’s rescuer.

There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them. So, if we read the Bible asking first, “What would Jesus do?” instead of asking “What has Jesus done” we’ll miss the good news that alone can set us free.

In all of its pages and throughout all of its stories, the Word of the Lord reveals the Lord of the Word. Some people think the Bible is a book of heroes, showing you people you should copy. The Bible does have some heroes in it, but (as you’ll soon find out) most of the people in the Bible aren’t heroes at all. They make some big mistakes (sometimes on purpose), they get afraid and run away. At times, they’re downright mean.

The gift is the plot line of the Bible, which is Jesus-centered. He is the Hero of the Story.

Adapted and Quoted from The Gospel Coalition | Tullian Tchividjian | Reading the Stories and Missing the Story | Reading the Bible Narcissistically

Emmaus

About 40 Gifts of Lent 

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. I want to focus on the freedom I have in Christ to overcome strongholds, yet also to gain strength, hope, and peace as I lean into the trials…To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent

#LentChallenge

The Great Artist |Sunday Respite | 40 Gifts of Lent 2014

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Sunday Respite 2Sunday Respite | 40 Gifts of Lent 

God is the Great Artist–Creating a Masterpiece

Lord, in the morning you hear my voice.
In the morning I pray to you.
I wait for you in hope.
Psalm 5:3 (NIrV)

Let God show you His way for you today. Pray about everything–the big things and the little things .Give your entire day to God and then wait to see what He will create with it.

God is the Great Artist, and your day is His empty canvas. Watch him do his work; he will pair his colors into your life–colors of Jesus’ love, mercy, peace, hope, and joy. And you will not be disappointed.

Trust Him to take your ordinary day and create a masterpiece.

Adapted from, Jesus Calling, 365 Devotions for Kids, Sarah Young, page 193

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SUNDAY STILLNESS

About 40 Gifts of Lent

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent 

#LentChallenge

Repentant Helplessness

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Repentant Helplessness 2

Repentant Helplessness

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 7
Reflections on Mark 6 – 11

“I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.”  Mark 9:24

I’m trying to be brave but I’m full of doubts. I am helpless to cure myself, to stop repeating the same mistakes, and to fill my mind with peace. There are many times when I’m running through life at a very fast pace, doing my own thing without prayer…unaware of the danger that lurks around the corner.

The danger ahead is doubting and unbelief and failure to call out to God. I’ve created so many messes because of not trusting God’s plan nor asking for his help. I’ve picked up my own shovel to dig ruts and large potholes just for me to trip over and fall into face first. Why do I do this over and over again? It’s the pain of sin and helplessness that brings me to my knees.

The amazing gift is that I don’t need to wash off the dirt and mud or clean and bandage the wounds before approaching God, just a repentant helplessness. He has already washed me and healed the moral and spiritual wounds. When I am weak and cannot muster the strength to meet these challenges, all I need to say is, “Help me.”

I sense his embrace, my soul is brighter and I’m ready to walk (or run) around the corner to face what life has in store.

Repentant Helplessness 1

Additional Reading: King’s Cross by Tim Keller

About 40 Gifts of Lent 

#LentChallenge

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